Above: British actress Merle Oberon in the role of Anne Boleyn in the Oscar winning The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933.)
"... As London slumbered and the summer stars twinkled over the head of the vast metropolis where so many of her family's triumphs had once been celebrated, the remarkable life of Anne Boleyn was drawing quietly to its close. All that was left were the events of the morrow, which would ensure that as her life ended, her legend began and the story of Anne Boleyn would thus commence its long, powerful course through British culture, history and national myth, carrying with it potent, intoxicating images of love, betrayal, lust, drama, religion, obsession, death, hope, deceit, power, wealth, tragedy and the final blood-soaked finale on the Tower Green."
May 18th was the last full day Anne Boleyn spent alive and I blog about it, HERE.
Hi Gareth,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your posts on Anne Boleyn's fall, I've lapped them all up!
There are two things puzzling me and that would really appreciate your insight on:
- We have many comments that attest to AB's concern about her mother, her brother, her other co-accused etc. but not a single comment about her daughter, Elizabeth! Why do you think that is?
- It seems so strange that every little detail was thought out about her execution yet there was no coffin provided for her - who would have been responsible for overseeing this - Henry or Kingston? Surely a coffin was provided for her brother George, executed 2 days previously, so why not her?
Thanks so much, please keep up your excellent work, you rock! :-)